The fire that has destroyed 6,500 hectares of forest since Thursday in the Cévens mountains in southern France was developing “favorably” today, in a “high risk environment” as the fire service received numerous calls about new fire outbreaks in the prefecture.
The French weather service, Météo-France, had today put Gars (a touristic department in southern France) “on maximum alert for the risk of forest fires” because of the heat, gusts of wind and a sparse vegetation due to the early and extreme drought.
In the northern part of the department, near the Ardes, almost 745 firefighters who arrived from all over France remain on alert for the “big fire”, according to the term used by rescue crews.
“We are working the fire on its edges, but it is too big a fire to finish as there are kilometers of edges. We will be able to talk about a fire under control when there is no risk of rekindling. But with these very adverse weather conditions that we are facing, that won’t happen before Sunday,” said Lt. Col. Eric Agrinier, Garr fire department communications officer.
In the field, the vegetation was completely destroyed in places, the tops of the trees were preserved in other places. “From a distance we see the Cevens mountain range bare, it hurts,” said Anaïs Donval, a resident of Besez, who was evacuated overnight.
Despite the violent flames that burned thousands of acres in a matter of hours, only a garage and a small farmhouse were burned.
Firefighters in Garr today faced seven new fire outbreaks within the law, where the prefect has banned entry to any forest area larger than 10 hectares until Monday.
Another hundred firefighters, supported by a fire helicopter and four Canadairs, were working in the commune of St-Anastasia, above Nîmes, where they had crossed at least 10 hectares. The tourist attractions of La Beaume and the port of Saint-Nicolas have been evacuated.
Overall, the whole of southeastern France faces a “very strong risk of fires”, according to the general directorate of civil protection which recommends great caution until Sunday, recalling that nine out of ten fires are caused by humans, due to an economic activity or carelessness (cigarettes, barbecue, campfire).
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
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